Water Rights Flashcards
_______ rights: When dealing with a navigable body of water, the property owner’s boundary will reach to the water’s accretion line. With a non-navigable body of water, the property owner’s boundary will stop at the water’s center point.
Riparian rights
_____ rights: Take into consideration the rights of a property owner whose property shares a border with a non-flowing body of water lil e alike or ocean.
Littoral rights
Natural deposit of soil that results in the steady increase in land.
Accretion
When water abruptly changes its course suddenly, the rapid decrease in land that results.
Avulsion
When water, wind and other natural elements cause a steady decrease in land.
Erosion
When the retreat of water causes a steady increase in land.
Reliction
When water shifts soil from where it is to another person’s land.
Alluvion
Attaining land due to the soil deposited by natural elements.
Accession
This doctrine says that if a riparian owner’s use of the water cause water to diminish in the amount, quality, or pace, it can be stopped. All riparian owners have the right to have access to the water in its natural state.
Natural flow doctrine
Each riparian owner is entitled to a reasonable use of water.
Doctrine of reasonable use
Refers tot he water rights that are not linked to landownership. They can be sold and mortgaged in the same way other property can.
Doctrine of prior appropriation
States that the first users of the water are priority, but they must use the water in a beneficial manner, within a reasonable timeframe.
Doctrine of beneficial use
Imposes a limit on landowners regarding their share of the water. Generally, this limit is based on the share of land owned by each.
Doctrine of correlative rights
